Are 18 and 19 year old school leavers disregarded for Council Tax?
A young person who leaves school or college and is 18 or 19 can be disregarded for Council Tax for a defined period after they finish, which can preserve a household discount. The disregard typically runs for a set window after leaving education. You confirm the position with your council.
See everything you may qualify for — benefits, grants, reductions and reliefs — in about 3 minutes. Free to check.
Check what you're owed →When a child turns 18 they would normally start to count for Council Tax, which can remove a single adult discount. The school leaver rule softens this by treating certain 18 and 19 year olds who have just finished a course as still disregarded for a period, giving the household time to adjust.
The disregard generally applies to those who have left a qualifying course and are within the defined age and time window. It works alongside the broader rule that under-18s never count, and the separate disregard for full-time students, so a young person may move from one category to another as their situation changes.
Because the window is time-limited, it is worth knowing when it ends, as the discount may change afterwards. Keeping the council updated and checking whether the young person then becomes a student, an apprentice or otherwise disregarded helps avoid an unexpected increase, and you can review wider entitlement at the same time.
How to claim the school leaver disregard
- Confirm the leaver status. Check the young person is 18 or 19 and has left a qualifying course within the time window.
- Tell the council. Inform the council and provide evidence of when education finished.
- Keep the discount. Ask the council to maintain any single adult discount while the disregard applies.
- Plan for the end date. Check whether the young person becomes a student or apprentice before the period ends.
Frequently asked questions
- Who qualifies as a school leaver for this rule?
- A young person who has left a qualifying school or college course and is 18 or 19, within the defined age and time window the rules set.
- How long does the disregard last?
- It runs for a set period after leaving education. Once that window ends, the young person normally starts to count unless another disregard applies.
- How does it affect our discount?
- While the leaver is disregarded, they are not counted, so a household can keep a single adult discount that would otherwise have ended at 18.
- What happens when the period ends?
- The young person usually starts to count, unless they become a student, apprentice or another disregarded group, so check before the window closes.
MoneyFinder is an independent sign-posting service that helps you find financial support you may be entitled to. We are not a government body and do not provide financial advice. Figures are taken from the official sources cited above and were correct when last checked — always confirm current details on the linked GOV.UK pages.